People successful in commercial dragon farming in Kaliganj

Many people have turned the wheel of fortune by cultivating dragon fruit on a commercial basis. There is a huge dragon fruit garden in Rathur Village of Nagri Union in Kaliganj Upazila of the district. There are seedlings of various citrus fruits including malta, lemon, papaya, guava and orange.

When this correspondent visited the jointly run Farmers’ Agro Bangla Ltd, its caretaker Md Ashraful Alam said, “Chemical fertilizers and pesticides are needed in other agricultural activities, but they are not needed much in dragon cultivation. The tree starts bearing fruit after 18 months from the time of planting. The tree flowers in the month of Chaitra and starts bearing fruit from the month of Baishakh.”

Md Shawkat Ali Venu, the owner of the dragon fruit garden and one of the successful entrepreneurs of Nagri Union of the upazila, said, “Dragon fruit has been cultivated on about 100-decimal land out of about 3500-decimal of the garden’s land. The garden is established and maintained by following modern agricultural technology in a completely organic, poison-free method. Currently, there are more than 4,000 dragon fruit seedlings in the garden. This year, it has bloomed well. If it yields, it will inspire unemployed youth.”

Although dragon fruit is a foreign fruit, it is currently being cultivated commercially in Bangladesh. It is eaten as a ripe fruit and as a syrup. Its syrup is popular due to its attractive color. Jam, jelly, juice, ice cream, and candy are made from the fruit. Dragon fruit is dark pink, yellow, and white in color and rich in antioxidants. Dragon fruit grows well in open areas with organic matter-rich loamy soil and sufficient sunlight. It is generally best to plant seedlings in the month of March or April. An important issue in dragon fruit cultivation is that there should be a good drainage system in the land.

Gazipur District Department of Agricultural Extension Deputy Director Md Rafiqul Islam Khan said, “The soil and climate of this region are very suitable for dragon fruit cultivation. Dragon fruit is cultivated on about 15 hectares of land in Gazipur. In order to produce safe crops, the department is advising farmers to use organic fertilizers and organic pesticides by regularly inspecting the gardens. This fruit contains a lot of minerals, proteins, antioxidants, vitamins A and D and various nutrients.”